Editorial Review

To listen to Ray Wylie Hubbard's Read more

Reviews (6)

Dirty and Mean with good guitar work
The whole album has that old southern blues rock grind, but it doesn't lose the Ray Wylie effect.Good guitar work throughout the entire album.As most of Ray Wylie's songs they are songs of blood, sweat and grease with a touch of sin and redemption.He and Gurf Morlix really sound like they are having fun playing together and that always makes an album special to me.
Love at first note...
I can't get this cd out of my player. I love Austin music and Ray is the best. The swampy, sultry sound can take you away. The lyrics are amazing and certain lines stick in my head. Amazing stuff and a far cry from 'Up Against the Wall Redneck Mothers' although I like that too.

Middle-of-the-night music, fuel for bonfires, dice, and showdowns
Ray Wylie Hubbard's "Snake Farm" is one evil, growling monster of a record, a finely focused muscular effort that effuses grit, malice, and funk. The sound ripples with thick, raw grooves that compliment the subject matter: the devil, women, redemption and damnation, hexes, and guitars. Clearly, this stuff is middle-of-the-night music, fuel for bonfires, dice, and showdowns.
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Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Country-Rock    3. Folk    4. Folk & Traditional    5. Outlaw Country    6. Pop    7. Rock & Roll    8. Singer/Songwriter    9. Swamp Blues    10. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

Some inspired music has arrived in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (mainly on New Orleans-themed benefit albums), but nothing as audaciously ambitious as this cross-generational collaboration between Crescent City mainstay Allen Toussaint and former British upstart turned adventurously eclectic veteran Elvis Costello.As a songwriter, producer, and arranger, Toussaint has been responsible for hits from artists ranging from Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, and Lee Dorsey to the Pointer Sisters and Labelle. Costello, long a huge fan of Toussaint's music, sings relatively familiar fare such as "On Your Way Down" and "Freedom for the Stallion" from Toussaint's extensive songbook along with obscurities mainly recorded by Dorsey. Toussaint supplies his distinctive piano and horn arrangements--as well as lead vocals on "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?"--with Costello's Imposters serving as the rhythm section. Yet the real revelation comes from the new material, including the title track (a searing Costello composition in the Toussaint soul-spiritual mode) and five new Costello/Toussaint compositions that spotlight Toussaint's signature sound without diminishing Costello's creative contributions.What could have been a curiosity is instead a hallmark in the catalog of each artist. Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Blue-Eyed Soul    3. England    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. New Orleans Blues    6. New Orleans R&B    7. Pop    8. Pop/Rock    9. Retro-Soul    10. Rock    11. Rock/Pop    12. Singer/Songwriter    13. Soul   

Editorial Review

Slim Harpo, Dr. John the Night Tripper, Tony Joe White … one can't help but flash on those illustrious practitioners of swamp music, be it blues, rock, or pop, when listening to CC Adcock's latest effort. As with all of the above, Layayette, Louisiana's Adcock makes music that's dense, damp, and malodorous as a Baton Rouge bog. What's so welcome about Read more

Subjects:  1. Modern Electric Blues    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop    5. Swamp Blues    6. Traditional Cajun    7. Zydeco   

Editorial Review

Jonny Lang cut his debut album in Memphis when he was just 15, and, upon its release in 1996, the guitar prodigy from Minneapolis instantly became one of the leading lights of modern blues. He's a fast and flashy player whose approach rests equally on technical assurance and musical intelligence. Sizing up a dozen songs, he gets a pleasing, razor-sharp sound out of his ax while building excitement in his lead lines--thankfully, he steers clear of cliché and bombast. As a fledging singer, he acts out the lyrics of Ike Turner's age-old shuffle "Matchbox" and his own romantic ballad "Missing Your Love" with surprising poise and believability. Kudos to producer David Z for surrounding Lang with alert, first-rate sidemen and for helping select good material from Turner, Sonny Boy Williamson, Tinsley Ellis, and others. Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues-Rock    4. Contemporary Blues    5. Modern Electric Blues    6. Pop    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

It sounds like the beginning of a story: "So, Slowhand and the King of the Blues were riding in a car ..." If this is a musical journey, it's the kind that rolls down long, empty stretches of country highway at 80 miles an hour, with the top down and the stereo blasting. Clapton and King may be more city than country, but this collection has the relaxed, laid-back feel that only comes from a pair of veterans doing what they do best. What they do here is cover 12 classic blues songs, many of them staples of King's repertoire, so the title of this album makes sense. Whether it's the rollicking rock & roll of the title track, or the acoustic shuffle of "Key to the Highway," or the sweet notes of "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer," a real sense of pleasure comes through on this album, the kind of pleasure one gets from jamming late at night with a good friend. Read more

Features

• Enhanced

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues-Rock    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Pop    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

With a series of terrific albums, Cassandra Wilson has established herself as one of the day's great vocalists and, in branching out from jazz into blues and folk and pop, paved the way for genre-crossing stars including Norah Jones. But the Mississippi native has rarely sounded as relaxed or winning as she does on "Thunderbird," which teams her with the stalwart Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Contemporary Jazz    3. Electric Blues    4. Jazz    5. Modern Delta Blues    6. Modern Electric Blues    7. Modern Electric Chicago Blues    8. Pop    9. Soul-Blues    10. United States of America    11. Urban    12. Vocal Jazz   

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Contemporary Blues    4. Electric Texas Blues    5. Modern Electric Blues    6. Modern Electric Texas Blues    7. Pop    8. Popular Music    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop    11. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

Hurricane Katrina may have devastated New Orleans and surrounding Gulf communities in 2005, but it was also a forceful reminder of the Crescent City's world renowned status as the epicenter of much American musical heritage. This benefit album (all net proceeds will be donated to the local relief efforts of Habitat for Humanity, with a portion specifically set aside to provide housing for local musicians left homeless by the disaster) picks up that latter thread, a sometimes bittersweet reminder of how deepy ingrained, yet all-too-fragile, that cultural legacy really is. Allen Toussaint's succulent reworking of his "Yes We Can Can" sets a rhythmic, optimistic tone that parallels his city's own historical resilience, while Dr. John turns in a bluesy, laid-back "World I Never Made" that's a sharp contrast to the flashes of anger he showed on Tab Benoit's earlier benefit collection, Read more

Subjects:  1. Louisiana Blues    2. New Orleans Blues    3. New Orleans Brass Bands    4. New Orleans Jazz    5. New Orleans R&B    6. Pop    7. Rock/Pop Collections    8. V/a Compilations    9. Zydeco   

Features

• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Modern Electric Texas Blues    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Texas Blues   

Editorial Review

George Winston is no stranger to benefits. He often gives the proceeds from his concerts to charitable organizations, and in 2001 he released Read more

Reviews (1)

From Solo Piano Publications
George Winston's "Gulf Coast Blues and Impressions" is both a benefit album to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina as well as a tribute to New Orleans jazz piano. Those who have seen Winston perform in concert know that this style of music is one of his passions, so it's fun to have a full recording of both quiet and rollicking forms of jazz piano from this artist. Six of the tracks are original compositions in the styles of some of Winston's favorite jazz composers, three are covers, and one is an almost twelve-minute arrangement of the New Orleans musical staple, "When the Saints Go Marching In." Folks looking for meditation music should probably move on, although four of the tracks are much quieter and more what Winston's fans have come to expect. All of George Winston's proceeds from this album will go directly to the Dancing Cat Benefit Fund, to be distributed to organizations helping people on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans to rebuild and return. In unity with the artist, RCA Records will be donating the bulk of its net profits to benefit musicians in the New Orleans area, so this is a very noble cause deserving of everyone's support.
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Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Adult Alternative    3. Adult Contemporary    4. Contemporary Instrumental    5. Neo-Classical    6. New Age    7. New Age / Meditation    8. New Orleans Blues    9. Piano Blues    10. Pop    11. Solo Instrumental   

Editorial Review

Chester Burnett's ferocious growl was a staple of Chicago's electric-blues heyday. This 20-song compilation ranges from his 1951 debut "Moanin' at Midnight" with Willie Johnson on guitar to 1964's "Killing Floor" with Buddy Guy on guitar. His scratchy, sawed-off vocal approach and his energetic harmonica grace original classics such as "How Many More Years" and "Smokestack Lightnin'." By 1960, he became, along with Muddy Waters, the foremost interpreter of Willie Dixon's songs, lending his coarse voice to legendary Dixon cuts such as "Wang Dang Doodle," "Back Door Man," "Spoonful," "The Red Rooster," and "I Ain't Superstitious." Wolf's style was based on primal raw power, and he ranks among the genre's most distinctive performers. Read more

Reviews (41)

Awesome Electric Blues
If I were to give up all of my Blues albums but one (make it two, John Lee Hooker can't be left out) I would nominate the best of Howlin' Wolf. This CD does have the best of Howlin' Wolf's songs: Spoonful, the best version of Willie Dixon's original along with Cream's, the awesome Smokestack Lightnin': you can actually hear Howlin' Wolf Howlin', Wang Dang Doodle, and all the amazing Blues you could ever want, all packaged up in one neat package for that awesome price - I wouldn't miss it for anything.

A good collection but not necessarily "his best"
This is a fine collection and I'm glad to own this. However, I think material gives too much weight for Dixon's stuff and some Wolf's own essential pieces are missing.
My favorite bluesman by far
I've always loved deep, gruff male singing voices.If there's one thing I cannot stand, it's an effeminite-sounding male singer.That's why Roger Daltry is my favorite Rock 'n' Roll singer.Come to think of it, I even like my female singers gruff -- a la Janis Joplin and (sometimes) Fiona Apple.If you also like raw and rough singing, and you are looking at Howlin' Wolf's stuff, you've hit the jackpot.He's just amazing.Captain Beefheart is the only voice I've ever heard that matches Howlin' Wolf.No wonder Beefheart used to cover "Evil" in concert - he was pretty much the only person who could!I like a lot of other bluesmen like Elmore James and Otis Rush, but this guy is just as good as the genre gets.He's certainly the most distinctive bluesman, to the point that he appeals to many people who otherwise could not care less about the Blues.Get this CD! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues Traditional    4. Chicago Blues    5. Electric Blues    6. Electric Chicago Blues    7. Pop   

Editorial Review

Other post-WWII Chicago bluesmen are better known, but the work of Elmore James holds up as well as any of theirs. If he never had the technical accomplishment of, say, Earl Hooker, he did have as much depth of emotional expression as Muddy Waters; just listen to the sweetness of "I Need You" or the pain of "It Hurts Me, Too." Read more

Reviews (22)

One of the Greatest
Outside of those really knowledgable about blues and some of the classic rockers, Elmore James seems to not be extremely well-known; he's hardly a household name... but HE SHOULD BE! Elmore's slide playing is among the best and most influential ever, but, as another reviewer noted, he is a VERY good, expressive, and passionate singer. Elmore poured every ounce of his soul into every note he played and every note he sang and his passion translates well onto record; as evidenced by this fabulous collection. It is a real tragedy that he passed away so young, as he was truly one of the most talented musicians to ever walk this earth. I'll bet the sky was crying the day that ole Elmore died, if I would've been alive, I probably would have cried too.

New at Blues
I haven't heard Elmore before until just now on a cd I bought, and this preview. (Well, I did hear Sky is Crying covers but never the real thing.) I have Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, BB King, and a blues compilation cd with Rollin' and Tumblin. This guy is slick. I must get this tomorrow; I would right now but the store is closed. I can't wait for shipping either. Since last weekI've become addicted to the blues.

Historic James Recordings a Master's Class In The Blues
The incomparable Elmore James still reigns as the master of the slide guitar, influences scores of musicians from Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt to beyond.
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Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Blues Traditional    4. Chicago Blues    5. Electric Blues    6. Electric Chicago Blues    7. Guitar    8. Pop    9. Slide Guitar Blues    10. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Recording for forty years now, Rory Block has devoted the entirety of her newest album to the songs of Robert Johnson. This is no mere dalliance or bandwagon jumping for her, as this music has informed her own musical path from the outset, starting with her love of his records when she was just a child. Her subsequent studies of Rev. Gary Davis, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt and others put her in good stead for understanding the dynamics of one guitar and voice. Like some of those blues masters, Block uses the subtle complexities of fingerpicking combined with occasional slide work to create a whole that has the range of a small combo. What's amazing in hearing these thirteen songs is how fully they became part of the blues lexicon -- not just the individual songs, but their entire bearing. Read more

Reviews (2)

Rory's Best--(so far)
Unless you've been living on another planet you've heard of Robert Johnson and heard these songs.They've been covered more times by more people than anyone can count-but never like this!Rory Block herself has even recorded them in the past-but never like this!
BluesLady
After seeing Rory perform in July, I eagerly anticipated this release. A number of artists have done justice to this collection of Robert Johnson songs, notably Eric Clapton, Peter Green, John Hammond and recently Dion. I really believe that Rory matches or exceeds these guys in getting into Robert's skin/soul. Rory's slide guitar is easily as good as Bonnie Raitt and her vocal delivery really communicates. She does not "sing" these songs: she wears them, owns them and breathes them in a most authentic way.Rory is not limited to the blues---check out her cd Tornado. Also look ahead to her collaboration with Robert Johnson's grandson. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Contemporary Blues    3. Delta Blues    4. Modern Acoustic Blues    5. Pop    6. Slide Guitar Blues   

Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Contemporary Blues    3. Contemporary Singer/Songwriter    4. Country-Folk    5. Honky Tonk    6. New Orleans Blues    7. Pop    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop    10. Singer/Songwriter    11. Slide Guitar Blues   

Editorial Review

A million or so collections, all from different record labels, document this Detroit blues guitarist's influential boogie-woogie career. This 16-song Rhino CD is an excellent starting point, with definitive versions of Hooker's classics "Boom Boom," "Boogie Chillen'," "I'm in the Mood," and "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer." It's interesting to hear the singer's voice progress from a deep, growling slur to the more polished later material, such as his collaboration with slide guitarist Roy Rogers on Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues," but he never lost his bottom-line rawness. Read more

Reviews (19)

Boogie King
John Lee Hooker, "king of the boogie," is one of the most influential guitarists to ever record. He is also one of the most unique, as his rhythmic and dynamic senses are more free than what one may be accustomed to... he also changes chords rarely, if ever, in some songs. Now i myself have complained about 3 chord bands... this is different, this man hypnotizes you with his awesome, entrancing riffs and licks. This collection is probably the finest one disc compilation of this master's work and belongs in any music lover's collection. If you think that all blue sounds the same and all is 12 bars etc etc (any blues aficionado knows much better than to pay any heed to these ridiculously ill-informed stereotypes), John Lee Hooker is a good place to see that the blues is one of the forms most open for free expression and experimentation.

A Legendary and Prolific Bluesman!
Some of John Lee Hooker's best known songs are compiled from his many years and albums onto this budget CD, with not one being one you will skip over.From "Boogie Chillen'" to "Boom, Boom,"they are all here.Even the songs which made others famous, such as "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer."
one cd, one artist, one to have!
Every serious blues collection needs something from John Lee Hooker, and this cd is a great place to start. It is a great variety of all his early classics, and the sound quality is very good as well. From Dimples to Boom Boom to Boogie Chillen to One Scotch... they are all here. You cant go wrong with this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Music    4. Blues Revival    5. Blues Traditional    6. Country Blues    7. Delta Blues    8. Detroit Blues    9. Electric Blues    10. Electric Delta Blues    11. Juke Joint Blues    12. Pop    13. United States of America   

Features

• Extra tracks
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (28)

Hope springs eternal
A classic.Just got it recently and it sounded as good as the 60's when I first heard it.Kooper can produce, Bloomfield can sing and play like he really has the blues (died a heroin addict overdose in SF), and Stills can play guitar and sing like he's happy - a predecessor to CSNY days to come.Someone here made that fuzzy sound, sound good.Could have been two different albums, so no complaints about some of the best lead performances by great prock/blues aetists of the 60's.

Exquisite
I had forgotten over the years just how wonderful this album was, so I was thrilled to find it here at Amazon! Granted, it's not the heavy black vinyl with the faded dog earred cover, but this one fits in my car stereo, makes the commute miles fly by and sounds even better then it did long ago! Thanks!

Classic Album Stands the Test of Time
"Super Session" still sounds fresh and exciting after 35 years. What makes the album great is the guitar playing -- Mike Bloomfield for the first half, and Steven Stills for the rest. Al Kooper's keyboards and vocals supply the continuity in sound. Bloomfield's playing is among his best recorded work. He sounds like a jazzy B.B. King with his precise, melodic solos. "Stop" and "His Holy Modal Majesty" are highlights, but all his songs are excellent. Stills' playing on this album has been underrated by critics. "Season of the Witch" displays some of his richest playing. Kooper and colleagues' arrangements are inventive and effective, with their rockin' version of "It Takes a Lot to Laugh" a stand-out. The additional tracks on this version of the CD do not really add to quality of the original, but they do provide some insights into the process of producing the music. For example, after listening to "Season of the Witch" without horns, one is likely to conclude that Kooper did a great job in including them in the original album. Overall, this is an excellent album, revealing Bloomfield at a high point in his playing (sadly, drugs and other demons would trouble him until his premature death in 1981). Stills' fine guitar playing is also a revelation. And Kooper never had a finer hour on record. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Electric Chicago Blues    3. Modern Electric Chicago Blues    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

"Yeah, it’s been a long time coming, never thought it’d take so long," moans Jonny Lang on the seemingly autobiographical title track to his first release in five years. But its stark acoustic, near demo quality is in contrast to the preceding 12 songs, which are buffed to an arena-rock sheen. The youngster has shifted from an up-and-coming bluesman into a tough, journeyman melodic rocker with a dab of R&B. He has also honed his songwriting skills, resulting in the majority of this album (except a rugged bonus live cover of Stevie Wonder’s "Livin’ for the City" and the first single "Red Light") being self-penned. Aiming for the back rows, Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Modern Electric Blues    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Band leader and lounge kingpin Louis Prima will be best be known for the classic, "Just a Gigolo," immortalized by David Lee Roth for a whole new generation of swingers. But Prima's output went much further: in his day he recorded for Capitol, acted in a movie or two, even owned a golf course. Prima's genius is infectious: lounge, swing, and Dixieland all fuse together into medleys that are fun, dance-worthy, and upbeat. Prima's duets with Keely Smith are the obvious highlights here: "That Ol' Black Magic," "Hey Boy! Hey Girl!," and "I've Got You Under My Skin" are essential Prima tracks. Sure, the cheese factor occasionally runs high, but it is a fun trip. --Read more

Subjects:  1. Dixieland    2. East Coast Blues    3. Jazz    4. Jazz Music    5. Jazz Vocals    6. Jump Blues    7. Pop    8. R&B    9. Swing    10. Traditional Pop    11. United States of America    12. Vocal    13. Vocal/Standards   

Features

• Soundtrack

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Country-Rock    3. Film Music    4. New Orleans Blues    5. Pop    6. Roots Rock    7. Soundtrack    8. Soundtracks    9. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Editorial Review

The full-tilt blues album that Clapton had been promising for years, Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues    3. Blues-Rock    4. British Blues    5. Hard Rock    6. Modern Electric Blues    7. Pop    8. Popular Music    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop